


Night of Summer Stars

by suddenlyswept



Series: Devil Went Down to Georgia [2]
Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-02
Updated: 2010-11-02
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:04:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suddenlyswept/pseuds/suddenlyswept
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Bones enjoy a lazy summer day together. (One-shot of the Devil Went Down to Georgia series)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night of Summer Stars

Late August in Georgia was hot. Ridiculously, annoyingly, can’t breathe hot. There was no way to make it poetic. It was hot and humid and almost _cloying_. All of that green Jim had been so amazed by before had ripened to the point where it seemed to be all he breathed, tasted, and touched. There was no escape.

And yeah, there were environmental controls. And his were set at sixty-eight Fahrenheit. But despite a perfectly lovely sixty-eight degrees, Jim was still shirtless lying on his hardwood floors in the living room with a fan on overhead. All Southern homes came equipped with fans. Because environmental controls aside, the humidity managed to seep in. It was pressing in against his house, seeping in between the wood, infiltrating his refuge.

Bones had, of course, told him to stop being a baby when Jim had refused to go to the grocery story with him. It required going outside. This Jim was not willing to do. So he’d merely maintained his position on the floor, letting his sweating glass of sweet tea rest against his neck, and smiled mildly up at Bones when he’d cursed Jim with laziness. A bare shoulder shrugged, “I’m acclimating. I heard it takes time.”

Bones had glared and then just shook his head, “Fine! You lay here like the princess you are.”

It was too hot to be baited.

Muttering something uncomplimentary under his breath, Bones glared at Jim and turned away. Jim smiled fondly. As Bones had pulled open the door, car keys in hand, Jim called out, “Hey, Bones.”

“I swear to God, you even _think_ of asking me to pick up lube and I will end you.”

Jim loved how he glowered like that. It was incredibly sexy how his lip curled just a hint and those eyes darkened. In appreciation, his cock twitched . . . also at the idea of lube. Which he totally didn’t need. Gaila knew a guy that supplied Orion lube, which was the best on the market. He had boxes of the stuff in his closet. “I was just going to tell you thanks.” And here blue eyes twinkled, “And tell you that I will be expressing those thanks when you get back, on my knees, in the shower.”

Almost all sex took place in the shower now. With cool water pouring over them. Not environmentally conscious considering how much sex took place there, but peeling apart bodies glued together in sweat and come was . . . uncomfortable. Jim was pretty sure that someone could make a new kind of glue out of the combination. Or a new body waxing technique.

Jim watched as a flush just tinged Bones’ cheeks, even as his frown remained. When he simply moved through the door without saying anything else, Jim knew he’d be hurrying through the shopping. He smiled.

It was rare he got Bones to himself. Usually he spent the week locked in the hospital and Jim was lucky if he got to drag he and Jocelyn into a hotel for a couple of hours during lunch. Or if he was really lucky, managed to simply convince Bones to utilize the sofa in his office. Usually, the convincing required less words and more tongue, but the tricky part was getting Bones to let Jim that close. He’d been sensitive about it ever since Bones’ admin had walked into the office while he was fucking Jim on his desk, Jocelyn watching on the vid feed.

She’d run out of the office and by the time Bones had finished, neither Jocelyn or Jim being willing to stop, Bones had been convinced everyone in the greater Atlanta area would think he was cheating on his wife within a couple of hours. Jim had only rolled his eyes. M’alanna, Bones’ admin, was Halanan, bonded with one of the surgeons on Bones’ staff. She had known since the first time they’d fucked in Bones’ office and hadn’t said anything then. It was unlikely she would say anything . . . ever.

And despite the fact that in the two months since they’d all been fucking no one had found out, Bones remained resistant to trysting in his office. Thus the use of hotels.

But, miracle of all miracles, Jim had persuaded Bones to take a day off. Which had really only happened because he’d spent that last three locked into surgeries and M’alanna had banned him from returning for the next thirty-six hours. He’d crashed for twelve hours and then wandered over to Jim’s place . . . to find him on the floor. Jim smiled and stretched, moving over to find a new non-sweaty spot on his floor. Yup, he had Bones to himself to the next ten hours or so. He was gonna make the most of it.

A scant thirty minutes later, Bones returned, arms full, “Get up and find a shirt while I make us something. We’re going out.”

He walked over to nudge Jim’s bare side with a flip-flopped foot. The fact that Bones owned and regularly wore flip-flops had caused Jim no small amount of hilarity. Until he realized just how hot Georgia got and realized they were instrumental in the first line of defense in keeping cool.

Blue eyes blinked up at Bones and a plaintive tone immediately entered Jim’s voice, “Boooones, it’s too hot to be outside!”

An eye roll was all he got in response. “You know, there’s a four year old girl in my hospital wing waiting to undergo _brain surgery_ and she whines less than you do.”

“Because it’s not this hot in the hospital. Everyone knows hospitals are cold.”

“Up.”

Another nudge, firmer this time, and Jim slapped a hand protectively over his side, “Hey!”

“Up,” Bones demanded again, still holding his sacks of groceries, glaring over the head of something that looked suspiciously like broccoli.

Jim’s eyes narrowed, “Is that broccoli? You know how I feel about broccoli.”

Another nudge as Bones ignored this. “Up or no shower sex tonight.”

Jim’s eyes widened briefly before narrowing in displeasure, “Don’t we have to be married for you to make those kinds of threats?”

Bones offered a smug smile, which only gleamed as Jim reluctantly pushed himself off the floor, purposefully making his muscles ripple with each movement. And Bones looked appreciative, just not deterred. Ha!

“Nope, I can make those threats now. And I am. So, go find a shirt and some shoes.”

“No shirt, no shoes, no _service_?”

Bones just shrugged and began moving to the kitchen, “Just go.”

Five minutes later Bones was closing the trunk of his car as Jim was coming out of the house, a threadbare white t-shirt already clinging to him, sunglasses jammed onto his face, and the flip-flops he’d found shopping with Gaila firmly on his feet. There were also two eager pups trailing after him, yipping excitedly that they were going for a ride.

He moved towards Bones, “The least you could do is let me drive. You still haven’t you know.”

“And I never will. I’ve seen how you drive. I like having my head in tact and not being wrapped around a tree. Besides,” he continued, not letting Jim interrupt like he wanted, “you don’t know where you’re going.”

Jim’s lower lip came out in a pout he’d learned from Chekov, looking to see if it had any effect. No. Dammit.

Sighing, he moved to the passenger side, letting Mason and Dixon scramble up into the back seat, “I don’t know why I put up with this. Dragging me into the heat, not giving me shower sex, not letting me drive. All while I am constantly offering up my very excellent ass. This hardly seems fair, Bones.”

Bones was clearly amused by this little rant but simply slid into the car and when Jim climbed in after him, he turned smug hazel eyes in Jim’s direction, “Because I both feed you _and_ fuck you stupid. Which isn’t hard by the way.”

“You keep talking like that and it’s gonna be,” Jim leered lazily, rubbing a hand over his groin.

“Oh for the-”

“So where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“Come on, Bones, tell me.”

“Stop whining like a little girl.”

“Are we there yet?”

A long pause.

Then helpless laughter and he muttered, “Infant.”

Jim watched as the tension in Bones’ shoulders eased as he laughed and smiled to himself.

  
They drove for nearly twenty minutes, pulling off at one point onto an old country road and into a heavily wooded area. Bones moved the car off between a copse of trees and turned to Jim, who was peering around him trying to spot anything but trees. “Uh, Bones? Have you brought me out here to dispose of my body?”

“Please, like I would have to hide it. I would just induce a heart attack and then blame it on your cholesterol levels. With the way you eat, no one would even doubt me.”

Jim’s brows rose as Bones shoved open his door and he followed him out, skirting the car, stepping around rather than over a fairy ring of mushrooms (just in case), and swatting at an insect that buzzed near his ear, “I’m concerned you’ve clearly thought the matter through.”

The pups were already sniffing the area around them, marking new territory, before coming over and rather obediently sitting at Jim’s feet. Jim nearly smirked. Spock had trained them well.

Bones leveled a look at him, “It occurred to me sometime around June that my life would be easier without you in it.”

Jim merely grinned and moved forward, leaning across the trunk of the classic car to nip at Bones’ lower lip, enjoying the way he stiffened just before giving. Pulling away he murmured, “Easier maybe. But less awesome.”

A breath huffed across his lips and Jim laughed, pushing back so Leo could open the trunk. Peering around, he saw a couple of light blankets and a cooler. He looked up to find today’s amber eyes staring at him, almost daring him to make a comment about their imminent picnic.

Instead Jim scooted around so he could plaster himself up against Bones, sliding fingers against a sweat-dampened neck, into the short, wet hairs at the base of his head. For once, Jim stayed quiet and simply leaned forward, capturing soft lips in his, licking his way in gently, moving slowly and easily.

There was no urgency to his movement. Just a savoring as damp air pushed against them and flowed between them. Jim kept the kiss light, more lip than tongue, savoring the flavor and feel of Bones as he moved against Jim, nipped Jim’s own lips, breathing sweetly against him. When large hands moved to his back, trailing under the thin cotton, separating cloth from skin, Jim only moved closer, ignoring the soft flitter of insects, the almost oppressive humidity in his bid to get to Bones. After a long few minutes, it was Bones who pulled back, brushing a last kiss against Jim’s lips before releasing him.

Silence hung as heavily and thickly as the air around them as Jim tried to resist the urge to push Bones onto the car and take that mouth again. He loved kissing his doctor. Loved how where Bones was all strength and stubbornness, his mouth was soft and sensual, giving as eagerly as it took. Jim could spend hours doing nothing more than kissing that mouth. And it was an intimacy rarely granted. Both of them were hesitant to share more than quick kisses with each other and Jocelyn when they all got together. It somehow seemed . . . intimate . . . rather than sexual.

Bones interrupted his thoughts by pushing the cooler into Jim’s chest, “Here.”

Jim scowled as he clutched the ridiculously heavy cooler as Leo picked up the blankets. “What the hell did you put in this thing?”

Bones only rolled his eyes, “Food. Come on.”

“You mean we aren’t there yet?”

“Yes, Jim, I brought you to look at trees.”

When Jim just shrugged, he watched Bones’ shoulders slump before he shook his head and simply began walking through the forest in a path known only to him. Jim followed, cursing as his exposed toes ran into roots and sticks clearly gunning for him.

Ten minutes later, Jim was dripping sweat, cursing the cooler of doom, muttering at the insects that buzzed around him, and seriously wishing he could comm Scotty for a beam out.

It was another five minutes before they broke through the trees and Jim was able to drop the cooler, leaning his hands on it and taking a deep breath that was not at all refreshing. Damn humidity.

Bones was spreading out a blanket as Jim looked around in surprise. They were at a lake. There was even sand circling the lake instead of rocks and mud. And Leo was settling them in a grassy area just further up that had large, leafy trees providing some shade from the sun. Wow. Jim hadn’t known there was a lake nearby.

When he said as much, Bones shrugged, “It’s not really a lake. Sorta a cross between a pond and a lake. Too small to build around so it’s been left mostly alone.”

Jim moved the cooler closer to the blankets and flopped down on it, kicking off his sandals and pillowing his hands beneath his head. He grinned as his pups immediately deserted him to run into the lake, and Jim took a moment to watch the adorable sight of them frolicking in the water, before turning his gaze back to Bones, “Nice.”

Bones just shrugged but Jim saw the smile tugging at his mouth. Before he could say anything, Bones was nudging at him again, “Get up.”

“Boooones!”

Jim sighed when that damn foot only nudged him again and heaved a sigh and he sat up. Again. Dammit. When was he gonna be left to nap in peace?

Bones was digging through the cooler and came up with a bottle, tossing it at Jim’s head. Only quick reflexes saved Jim from being beaned. Jim shot Bones a pout, which he only ignored again.

Before Jim could object to the haphazard treatment he’d been subject to all day, Bones pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it next to the cooler. All speech faded away.

As did Jim’s ability to breathe when those long fingers moved down to the button on his long shorts. Blue eyes greedily swept over broad, tanned shoulders, roughly hewn pec muscles, dustings of dark hair trailing over smooth abs, its trail being revealed as the shorts were pushed down leaving Bones in his jockey shorts. Sun highlighted every curve of muscle, every angle of bone, making each inch of skin gleam as sun hit sweat. Those long limbs and broad shoulders, uncovered by everything but sheer light, stripped away everything Jim knew about him. Before him stood not a doctor, but an ancient Olympian, ready for competition, for battle.

Fuck, why hadn’t he brought a camera??

A pink tongue came out and wet dry lips. Jim had seen Bones naked. Had seen him naked during the day. But never outside. Somehow it made him seem _more_ naked than he’d ever been. “Ah . . . um . . . Bones?”

Jim barely recognized his own voice that croaked out when the jockey shorts joined the rest of his clothing pile. Bones was now completely naked. In the middle of the day. Outside. Completely unselfconsciously naked. Just . . . naked.

He wasn’t quite sure when he’d gotten to his knees but suddenly he was shuffling towards Bones, gaze trained on the cock slowly filling under his gaze. He bet he could speed that up.

A hand reached out and Jim nearly swallowed at the thought of Bones guiding his head closer, holding his head in place as he fucked Jim’s mouth. But before that thought could become a reality, the hand was reaching out and swiping the bottle of sunscreen/bug repellant from Jim, leaving him to watch helplessly as the fluid was spread over every inch of that gorgeous body, every inch of beautiful skin.

Neither man spoke until each inch of skin was faithfully protected, only making it gleam more, and then a dark brow arched, amusement in that gravelly, Southern infused voice, “Aren’t you comin’?”

“Coming?” Jim managed to breathe out, eyes still trained on the rising cock. He reached out a hand and managed to skim fingertips up a thigh before Bones took a step back.

“Swimming.”

 _Huh_?

Jim shuffled forward some more and managed to grab onto those thick thighs before they could move another step back. This close, Jim could smell the musk radiating off Bones’ body, thick and heady like the air, pungent and sharp. He wanted to taste. Needed to taste.

A hand cupping his jaw stopped the forward movement of his head. Jim murmured in protest until the hand slid down to the t-shirt, tugging at it. Jim got the hint. Surging to his feet, he stripped with ridiculous speed and when he went to fall to his knees again, Bones stopped him once more. Suddenly he was pouring the lotion into his hand again and smearing it over Jim’s shoulders, gently tracing over freckles even as he rubbed the liquid into paler skin.

Jim stepped forward into the touch, blue eyes hooded in arousal, lifting his hand so they rested on those broad shoulders, letting Bones cover his arms, and move down his sides. He’d been hard since Bones pushed down his underwear but when those strong fingers gripped Jim’s ass, clenching deep into the muscle, rubbing over firm skin, Jim’s cock jumped and found Bones’, causing both men to take that half step forward necessary to bring them together.

Both men exhaled and shifted their hips so they were pressing together, Jim leaning in and taking that mouth one more time, opening his lips so Bones, more aggressive now, could tongue fuck him in the same way Jim was hoping he would with his dick.

Slick fingers slid their way between his cheeks and Jim swore softly, pulling away from that mouth and gripping Bones’ face between his hands. Hazel eyes were nearly obliterated by dilated pupils and lashes swept heavily over cheeks as swollen lips parted to suck in the damp air. Jim kept his eyes on Bones’ as he slid back down to his knees, placing hot, open mouthed kisses down his body, taking in the sweat and heat of Bones, suddenly thankful for the odorless and tasteless lotion. He didn’t want anything coming between he and Bones.

A wet tongue peeked out as Jim settled on his heels, giving soft licks to a hairy inner thigh, tracing unknowable patterns, smoothing over some follicles, deliberately roughing over others, until the skin beneath his lips was twitching and muscles were clenched.

The scent of green and magnolias competed with the scent of man and sweat. Jim moved his head closer, burying his nose in the crevice between thigh and groin, running his tongue over the moisture gathered there, savoring the rawest taste of Bones, smiling when a low groan echoed out of Bones’ chest. A groan that was cut off abruptly when without warning, Jim turned and sank a bit lower, licking over and mouthing balls drawn up tight, following their silky skin and smooth shape to the shaft that had nearly invisible trails of precum trailing down it.

Nearly.

Jim re-wet the tip of his tongue and followed those trails until he was circling the pulsing, pink head, still holding Bones’ gaze as he parted his lips and let the firm head push its way in. Bones expelled a heavy breath and licked at his own lips as Jim ran his against the sensitive underside, opening at just the right moment so that when Bones bucked at the sensation, he was gliding right in.

Cheeks hallowed and Jim immediately slid forward, pushing Bones deep until Jim’s nose was buried in coarse hair, buried in the purest scent of Bones. Immediately a heavy hand fell onto Jim’s head, curling around and pulling him just a bit further, until the head was being swallowed into a tight throat.

Bones cursed softly in pleasure and Jim gave a grateful sigh when those fingers wrapped themselves around the base of his skull and held him in place. This is what he wanted. Bones taking control and fucking his mouth.

It wasn’t hard and furious, or rough and dominating. It was the most sensual mouth fucking Jim had ever undergone. It was all smooth rolls of hips and thick glides, long licks and gentle grinds. A thumb rubbed at the hinge of Jim’s jaw, soothing the strain there while Jim’s mouth was languorously taken.

The hand Jim had wrapped around his cock followed the same rhythm. Heavy and leisurely, necessary but unrushed, Jim felt himself pulled through to orgasm, coming silently into his hand while Bones’ buried himself deep and came with soft groans, the echo of which was swallowed by the Georgia air, keeping them cocooned in open-air privacy.

Slowly, Jim slid his mouth off, licking and sucking the whole way, eyes smiling as Bones groaned and finally fluttered his eyes shut. Jim wiped his cum drenched hand against his stomach as he rested his head against Bones’ thigh, pressing a soft kiss there first.

His hand was still buried in Jim’s hair and gradually the fingers unclenched, resting contentedly there before lifting away, Bones pulling his arms over his head and a long stretch that left Jim contemplating another round.

Before he could make the suggestion, Bones was pulling away, brushing a finger over Jim’s lips before murmuring, “Let’s wash off.”

Jim got to his feet, clasping an offered hand, and hesitated just long enough to get a truly excellent view of Bones’ tight ass flexing with each stride. A slow smile dawned and Jim let loose a soft laugh. Yeah, maybe the heat wasn’t all that bad.

The next few hours were spent swimming and eating. Jim had laid out for a bit, hoping to transform pasty skin into something less horrifying, but just settled for a slight pink before Bones dragged their blankets more fully under the cover of a large tree. There, Jim curled up next to him, pillowing his head on a proffered arm, and tracing the dancing patterns of light and dark made by leave rustling in the softest of breezes.

The food Bones had brought had been amazing. Not only because it was all light and cool, easing away the worst of the heat, but because he’d brought a lot of fresh fruit. Strawberries had been traced over Jim’s shoulders and up his neck, staining their lips as they shared them. Mango slivers had been traced over his thighs, a wet tongue following. Peach slices soaked in syrup had been traced over his back, following each line of muscle and spine until it was splitting his cheeks. Sweet syrup had pooled at soft ring of flesh that belonged so wholly to the man searching it out with tongue and lubed fingers.

And when Bones had slid into him, sheathing himself into Jim fully, Jim could only cry out in gratitude and arch his back, offering his ass fully as Bones wrapped his arms around his chest and rolled them to their sides. With a heavy leg thrown over Jim’s hips, he’d fucked him heavily, each thrust deep and perfectly aimed, rubbing over his prostate, at times fucking right into it, until Jim had his hand clenched behind him on Bones’ ass, pulling him in further and he cried out and came, spurting over the hand Bones had wrapped around his cock.

And he didn’t stop. His hand kept milking Jim, working to keep him hard even as his cock fucked relentlessly into the tight, humid little hole. Both men were pouring sweat, gluing chest to back, arms to sides, hands to cock, cock to ass. They were fused together in sweat and lust and Jim’s senses had never been so overwhelmed. His eyes were blinded by light, his ears by the soft, slick noises of wet flesh, his nose by the scents of flowers and grass, man and come, fruit and sweat, the same scents that competed on his tongue, the same essences that lingered on his skin.

He couldn’t breathe anything else and didn’t want to. And when each breath only sunk him further into himself, Bones, now moving more desperately, grabbed Jim’s hips and shot hot come deep inside of him, pouring over Jim’s prostate and sending him into a second orgasm that was as painful as it was pleasurable, causing him to clench and shout, folding over himself and shoving his ass deeper onto Bones’ dick.

For long moments he clung to Bones, hips twitching and grinding, pressing his head to the blanket as he tried to catch his breath. Soft, panting kisses were placed on his shoulder and neither man made a motion to move as they recovered. The heat was lessened by the breeze and the humidity was disregarded.

Bones didn’t bother disconnecting and Jim was grateful for the solid weight of him. After a few long minutes, Jim slowly moved himself, smiling at Bones’ protest and flutter of eyelashes as hazel eyes blinked sleepily at him. Jim turned over so that they were facing each other and moved back into the curve of Leo, now wrapping one of his legs over Bones’ hips. At the movement, he felt a trickle of come leak out of him and he squirmed in response.

A gleam appeared in those eyes and a wide palm moved over his hip, dipping low enough to gently probe at the still gaping ring, watching as Jim squirmed and whimpered softly. “Shh, darlin,” Bones murmured.

Jim shuddered at that soft _darlin’_ thick with Southern molasses and Georgian charm. Wrapping himself more firmly around the long length of flesh pressed against him, Jim cried out as a second finger pushed in and slowly rubbed against the walls of stretched flesh. Bones kept his eyes on Jim as he slid his fingers back out and brought them to his mouth.

A heavy groan sounded as Jim watched a pink tongue come out and lick up come and sweat and peachy syrup. Jim moved forward and brought his mouth to cover Bones’ before he could swallow, sending his tongue in to share the taste.

Groaning, Bones wrapped his arm back around Jim, bringing them together as their mouths lazily moved together. Jim closed his eyes finally and just sank into him, murmuring contentedly as Bones trailed new kisses along his cheek and jaw. And for the first time in weeks, Jim fell asleep hot, damp, surrounded by thick air redolent of late summer, and completely content.

Leo woke slowly; skin shivering as a burst of cool air rushed over them. His eyes opened to last vestiges of light painting the horizon navy and purple, sending last shadows across the smooth skin of the man curled into him. Smiling softly in a way few had ever seen Leo brushed fingers across those shadows, luxuriating in the freedom of having Jim in his arms and no other demands on his time or attention.

The pups had somehow wormed their way onto the blanket and while their soft little bodies kept his feet warm, the dropped temperature combined with the steady breeze was making his skin prickle. When Jim shivered with the next gust, Leo reached overhead and grabbed the extra blanket, trying to spread it over them with one hand. Jim woke when he rather unsuccessfully managed to just plop it onto his face.

A soft laugh escaped when a surprised hand lifted to bat the offending material away and a groggy voice sounded, “Wha? Imma . . . wher . . . wha?”

Leo pushed the blanket down to reveal confused blue eyes blinking up at him. Those lips curved into a sweet smile minus leer that Leo hadn’t know Jim to be capable of. It deserved a kiss.

Once the kiss was delivered, Leo pulled back and between he and Jim, they managed to get the blanket over them. Jim sighed and pillowed his head back on Leo’s chest, “Do we have to go soon?”

“You wanna stay?”

“Don’t wanna move.”

Leo knew they should leave but wasn’t ready to move yet either. Before he could respond, a flash of light moved overhead and suddenly Jim was laughing as fireflies rushed out of the trees behind them and swirled overhead.

They watched as the lights flickered and danced, twirled and dove. The pups, who hadn’t yet been exposed to fireflies, immediately leapt to their paws and began trying to chase them, jumping onto hind legs and snapping little jaws trying to capture the lights.

Leo grinned when they inevitably failed and tumbled to the ground, only to try again and again. The fireflies seemed to almost tease them, swooping in close as they fell and flittering away when they leapt forward. “You ever chase them when you were a kid?”

“Of course,” Leo murmured, “kept a couple in a mason jar for a night until my mom found them and made me let them go.”

“Ah, Eleanora strikes again.”

Leo grinned at that. “Said a life in a jar was no life at all. Something that was meant to fly should always be free.”

Jim angled his head back to see behind the fireflies now making their way back into the woods, looking up at the stars. Seeing where Jim’s gaze was, Leo couldn’t help but question, “You thinking about going back up?”

There was silence before a bare shoulder shrugged, “Sometimes. When I remember how beautiful it was, or how awesome it can be to make first contact, just how much _life_ is out there. It really is . . . well, there are no words. It’s beyond comprehension really.”

Tension invaded Leo’s frame at the wonder in Jim’s voice. He missed it. And suddenly, without thinking about it, Leo’s fingers were tightening around him, holding him close. Jim shifted his gaze to look at Leo, understanding dawning in those blue eyes, “And then sometimes I think about how cold it is up there . . . how lonely. I think about how many times I was kidnapped, how many crew I lost, how many missions ended up in running and getting shot at. How shortsighted SCC can be. How there would be no Enterprise, no crew, no family. And how for the first time in a while, I actually _want_ to be on Earth.”

Leo turned to face Jim, only the light of the stars providing any light at all, and stroked a thumb over his cheek, “But you miss it.”

“Yes. And no. And maybe someday, I’ll be back up there. But in the mean time, I’m enjoying an easier life. No aliens, no battles, no pollen, no replicator food.”

Leo thought of Jocelyn, who was no doubt home by now, and sighed. “Is it easier?”

A kiss pressed against his mouth and Jim murmured, “Nothing difficult about that.”

Leo could press the issue but decided not to. Decided to simply let them enjoy the rest of their time. Jim settled back against him, reaching over to let the pups under the blanket. Leo let his fingers rub small circles into Jim’s skin and felt the tension melt out of him again.

“Hey, Bones?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s probably not a good idea to go tromping through the woods at night.”

“I brou-” Leo cut himself off when Jim’s hands flexed. _Ah._ “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

He felt Jim smile against his side, “So we can stay til morning?”

Leo pressed a kiss to his forehead in agreement. He felt Jim sink deeper into him and expel a heavy breath. He rubbed the skin between his shoulder blades and whispered, “Sleep.”

“Hmmm. Bones?”

“Yeah?”

“I would miss you.”

Leo swallowed against the rush of emotion trying to struggle free and just hugged Jim a bit closer. “Me too. Now, shhh. Sleep.”

Grasshoppers sang and leave rustled, lulling Leo to sleep, peaceful with Jim in his arms.

Soon the gods of summer would have to relinquish their hold. The air would thin and the ground would harden, fireflies would retreat and leaves fall. Soon change would come and transform life into death, and death into life once more.

But for now, for this last eve of summer, the air stayed thick and sweet, the ground soft and welcoming, the fireflies danced into the sky and the leaves whispered their secrets. And in this world of love and magic, the lovers slept protected in the knowledge that in this moment, they had everything they needed right within their grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Title taken from Carl Sandburg’s “Summer Stars”.


End file.
